BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday said Israel’s withdrawal from the country’s south was a “non-negotiable” demand that authorities would pursue through negotiations, days ahead of a new round of talks in Washington.
In a statement commemorating Israel’s previous withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000, after nearly two decades of occupation, Aoun said that “this year, the liberation anniversary comes as Lebanon is weighed down by a painful reality.”
“The Israeli attacks have not stopped and our beloved southern villages are still suffering under a new occupation,” he said.
Israeli troops that occupied Lebanon during the latest war with Hezbollah that began on March 2 are operating within a self-proclaimed “yellow line” that runs about 10 kilometers (six miles) deep into Lebanese territory.
The Israeli army has also carried out heavy attacks beyond that area, despite a ceasefire supposed to be in effect since April 17.
“Lebanon will not accept this reality,” Aoun said.
“The path to a full Israeli withdrawal will remain an uncompromising and continuous national demand that the Lebanese state works to achieve through the option of negotiations,” he added.
Lebanon and Israel began historic US-brokered talks last month and are preparing for a fourth round in early June, preceded by a meeting between military delegations at the Pentagon on May 29.
